Original White House Cookbook

One teaspoonful of carbolic acid and one pint of rose-water mixed is an excellent remedy for pimples. Bathe the skin thoroughly and often, but do not let the wash get into the eyes. This wash is soothing to mosquito bites, and irritations of the skin of every nature. It is advisable, in order to clear the complexion permanently, to cleanse the blood; then the wash would be of advantage. To obtain a good complexion a person's diet should receive the first attention. Greasy food, highly spiced soups, hot bread and butter, meats or game, rich gravies, alcoholic liquors, coffee — all are injurious to the complexion. Strong tea used daily will after a time give the skin the color and appearance of leather. Coffee affects the nerves more, but the skin less, and a healthy nervous system is necessary to beauty. Eating between meals, late suppers, over-eating at meals, eating sweetmeats, candies, etc,, all these tend to disorder the blood, producing pimples and blotches. Washing of the face or skin is another consideration for a good complexion; it should be thoroughly washed in plenty of luke-warm water with some mild soap — then rinsed in clear water well ; dry with a thick soft towel. If suds is left or wiped off the skin, the action of the air and sun will tan the surface, and permanently deface the complexion ; therefore one should be sure to thoroughly rinse off all soap from the skin to avoid the tanning, which will leave a brown or yellow tinge impossible to efface. PEARL SMELLING SALTS. Powdered carbonate of ammonia one ounce, strong solution of ammonia half a fluid ounce, oil of rosemary ten drops, oil of bergamot ten drops. Mix, and while moist put in wide-mouthed bottle which is to be well closed. PEARL TOOTH POWDER. Prepared chalk half a pound, powdered myrrh two ounces, camphor two drachms, orris root, powdered, two ounces ; moisten the camphor with alcohol and mix well together. REMOVING TARTAR FROM THE TEETH. This preparation is used by dentists. Pure muriatic acid one ounce, water one ounce, honey two ounces, mix thoroughly. Take a tooth-brush, and wet it freely with this preparation, and briskly rub the black teeth, and in a moment’s time they will be perfectly white ; then immediately wash out the mouth well with water, that the acid may not act on the enamel of the teeth. This should be done only occasionally. BAD BREATH. Bad breath from catarrh, foul stomach, or bad teeth, may be temporarily relieved by diluting a little bromo chloralum with eight or ten parts of water, and using it as a gargle, and swallowing a few drops before going out. A pint of bromo chloralum costs fifty cents, but a small vial will last a long time. SHAVING COMPOUND. Half a pound of plain, white soap, dissolved in a small quantity of alcohol, as little as can be used; add a tablespoonful of pulverized borax. Shave the soap and put it in a small tin basin or cup ; place it on the fire in a dish of boiling water ; when melted, add the alchohol, and remove from the fire ; stir in oil of bergamot sufficient to perfume it. BARBER’S SHAMPOO MIXTURE.